Save It Before You Lose It
by lil-miss-devil
Summary: 5th year arises. Hermione feels in love and that person with Hermione...but there is 2 probs, a certain someone is sending her notes & she is in great danger! What would the love triangle result in? Read to find out!~ *COMPLETED*!!*
1. Really strangebut please continue!

Author's Notes: Please don't mind this chapter and the next one. We were on a kind of high when we wrote it and yeah, it doesn't make much sense.but I promise you that the next chapters are way better! So, even if you find this start of the fic annoying, please continue!!!! Thanks!  
  
Intro:  
  
2000 First April  
  
RIP Ronald Weasley.  
  
(Photo) Loving Son of Arthur and Molly Weasley. Loving Brother of Charles, William, Percy, Frederic, George and Virginia Weasley. Loving friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Death to diarrhea and overdose of chocolate frogs."  
  
-------------- ~ ----------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
( A/N: Sorry about this, but this is mainly gonna not involve Ron anyway, and we didn't feel like putting in some weird red-headed humour, so we decided to leave him out. Sorry to all people out there who like him, if you want, we can put him in during the sequel to this one, pretending Ron never died )  
  
Goyle waddled through the Great Hall trying to look for the way to the bathroom having forgotten it already. He dawdled into numerous candles and by the time he got to the bathroom he had forgotten the password. Peeves being silly as usual tousled his hair and made him wet his pants. WHACK! Suddenly a howler whacked Goyle on his back. At that exact moment in time Hermione rushed past, looking frantically at the time muttering to herself. Malfoy appeared out of nowhere, yanked Goyle out of his daydream towards the prefects bathroom.  
  
"What the hell are you doing Goyle? Don't make me lose my reputation"  
  
"Yea...yea...that's right. Um, Draco.." he whispered. "what's the bathroom password?"  
  
"If you lose your password you come to me, if you lose your robes you come to me, next you'll be losing your brain and coming to me." said Draco exasperated. "Not that you have one"  
  
Right on cue Crabbe hurried through the great hall tugging desperately at his black robe looking very red in the face. "Draco! Thank goodness you're here! What's the password?"  
  
Draco rolled his eyes and glared at the two loonies standing before him. "Go and combine yourselves together, I wouldn't mistake you for twins, blundering around wetting each other's pants for each other. Its 'Purebloods'"  
  
After the two had hurried off to the bathroom the trio hurried to Potions class - a class combined with the gryffindors along with one or two smart hufflepuffs. This was the advanced Potions class.  
  
."We will be learning about Memory Potions today. "Collect 5 pieces of boomslang skin now from the cupboard!" Professor Snape barked.  
  
Draco flashed a smirk at Goyle and Crabbe.  
  
Hermione looked towards Goyle and saw one dark streak of hair fall into his eyes.  
  
R-I-N-G! "Attention all students! Make your way slowly to the Great Hall! Emergency Meeting!"  
  
Snape muttered a curse under his breath and a feather rose and then fell quickly.  
  
"Malfoy - collect up the materials and put them in my cauldron before you leave. The material I've set out are flammable. Hurry." And with a flick of his coat Snape left the room along with the class. Malfoy sighed and hurried forward to Snape's desk. As he began to put the first boomslang skin back into the couldron he felt someone's eyes staggering on him.  
  
"Goyle! What are you doing here?" Malfoy asked, surprised  
  
"Waiting for you?" Goyle asked Malfoy rather than replying.  
  
"You've gotta have a better reason than that. You love the free food they give out during emergency meetings. " Malfoy answered not bothering to look up from putting away the materials quickly.  
  
"Nah. Got somethin' to tell ya,"  
  
Meanwhile the normally law-abiding Hermione went to the prefects' bathroom where Moaning Myrtle haunted the cubicles instead of the meeting.  
  
"Hermione! What brings you here? I hope its because you want to see me." Myrtle drifted out of one of the cubicles and looked at Hermione, sniffing her nose.  
  
Hermione said nothing and made no effort to reply. She had doubled over clutching at her stomach.  
  
Moaning Myrtle watched in bewilderment. After a while Hermione spoke. "You know Myrtle, when you were like, ah alive, did you get um pains?"  
  
Moaning Myrtle burst into sobs and screamed, "Again you bring out the reality that I am dead! You are soooo mean!"  
  
Seeing that she was going to go no where near answering her question Hermione tactfully changed the subject.  
  
"Heard of Goyle?"  
  
Myrtle stopped her weeping abruptly and answered, "That dumb loony? Yes, of course. He always hangs around with the other loony and that blonde, cute guy.what's his name again?"  
  
"You mean Draco Malfoy? He's a jerk. He thinks he's so cool, but he's so mean." Hermione scowled hard, picturing the evil smirk inside her mind.  
  
"He is cool though." Moaning Myrtle started to say but seeing Hermione open her mouth in displeasure, Myrtle decided to change the subject. "Yeah, go on. What about Goyle?"  
  
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink and she looked down at the floor with a shy smile upon her pretty face.  
  
"You like him?" Myrtle asked.  
  
Hermione nodded and Myrtle's face changed from her usual sobbing face into a great big amused beam.  
  
"Wait until I tell Ron about this!" She dived into the toilet with a loud splash.  
  
*  
  
At the other side of the school, Draco Malfoy had finished putting away Professor Snape's materials and was staring intently at Goyle who was stammering beyond his normal measure of blunderings. Draco rolled his eyes and flicked his streaks of hair falling over his face and asked, "What Goyle?"  
  
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	2. Author's Notes

The characters and everything else to do with Harry Potter throughout this story does not belong to us.  
  
It belongs to the great author J.K Rowling.  
  
Happy Reading.  
  
Please submit heaps of review for us!~ 


	3. Jealousy

Goyle stopped his blunderings and looked up to face Draco and took a large breath before answering. "Granger."  
  
"What?" Draco shouted in utter dismay. "You can't have fallen for a mudblood!"  
  
Goyle made no gesture to reply but nodded sheepishly. Draco's insides squirmed and he calmed himself down. He also had started to notice the bushy haired Hermione Granger who had grown so pretty over the years. Her hazel eyes were always twinkling and her smile sent shivers down Draco's spine. But he couldn't believe that Goyle had fallen for her too. This just wasn't happening. Draco wasn't blind. He could see that Goyle wasn't bad looking anymore. In fact, he was every girl's dream of the perfect muscle man only nobody noticed because they were used to the fact that Goyle was a stupid good-for-nothing idiot. But not surprisingly, Draco was still the hottest guy at Hogwarts, the slim, blonde guy of everyone's fairy tale prince who would suddenly pick them up and take them away to live happily ever after.  
  
Draco forced the pretty face of Hermione's out of his mind as Goyle interrupted his thoughts. "Look, I'm gonna catch Hermione at lunch and give her this. What do you think?"  
  
He took a small package from his black robe and handed it to Draco. Draco studied it carefully. It had been carefully wrapped - he recognised it as the most expensive wrapping paper at Madame Zuuchis, a small but expensive shop in Hogsmeade. The wrapping paper fell apart and a small heart-shaped opal was seen. Draco was mesmerised by the mysterious colours of the opal as they wove in and out of each other - shining in the dim light of the dungeons.  
  
"Granger will hate this." Draco replied to Goyle after realizing it was the perfect gift.  
  
"How would you know, you never took any notice in her." Goyle answered as he snatched the gift away from Draco.  
  
"Man don't take it that way! I meant like, this is Granger's style. Granger's idea of a present is probably Shakespeare or um, Arithmancy. Your opal is great." Inside Draco knew Hermione would love the opal but he kept his mouth firmly shut.  
  
Goyle paused thoughtfully. "What will I do with this opal then? It cost me 30 galleons! Plus, the wrapping paper cost me loads too. Should I refund it to a book of Shakespeare? Which is more romantic, A Midsummer Night's Dream or The Taming of Shrew?"  
  
"The Taming of the what?" Draco asked, having no clue what Goyle was talking about.  
  
"You're the one who suggested Shakespeare!" Goyle said, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"You actually know Shakespeare?" Draco asked, shocked at finding Goyle knew something more than him for once.  
  
"No.not really. I'll pop over to Hosmeade for a bit ok? Answer the roll for me." With that Goyle rushed past Draco and through the door, heading the way to Hogsmeade.  
  
Draco sighed as he thought of Crabbe and Pansy scuttering along after him as he carried on his way to the Great Wall to attend the rest of the emergency meeting. "At least Goyle's got better through the holidays. Not annoying me as much anymore." Draco thought, but thinking of the incident of the bathrooms in the morning made him change his mind, just a little.  
  
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Author's Notes: About this whole Goyle thing.we just wanted to make it ORIGINAL. And it is. So yeah. It gets better (without the Goyle parts as well ). I told you before the first two chapters are strange coz we were on a high. So keep reading! 


	4. Prefects

Draco reached the huge doors of the Great Hall and opened it slightly so that he could slip through. The first thing that caught his eye was Pansy smiling up at him, fluttering her heavily massacred eyelashes. Draco quickly looked away and towards the Gryffindor table. George was busy talking with Harry, both laughing at a joke Fred had told them.  
  
Harry sensing that somebody was looking at them, looked up and saw Draco Malfoy standing by the door. His eyes flickered back to the Slytherin table and he walked towards the now waving Pansy. Draco forced a smile onto his face as he reached his mates in the Slytherin table. "Oh Draco! You're here! You'll never guess what, your father and his friends are setting another attack! You must be so proud!" Pansy moaned grabbing Draco's arm and holding it tight. Draco tried his best to pull his arm out of Pansy's suffocating grip, but he had no success and let it be. "Where's Goyle?" Crabbe grunted. "Just gone to Hogsmeade to do something." Draco replied. "He'll be back by dinner." "Ok." Crabbe grunted (or snorted) again. Draco couldn't quite tell the difference between his grunt or snort. Dumbledore's voice pierced their conversation, "For the first time ever in the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry we have a change of prefects this time of the year. Some will stay the same, while others will be changed, according to what they will do in time. "The academic, arithmancy, care of magical creatures, herbology, history of magic.(etc) prefect is Hemione Granger." "What about he tells us what Hermione isn't prefect for?" muttered Harry. "An exceptional total of 20 prefect offices - Hermione Granger has beaten the record at holding most prefect offices since Zibani Ziboni in 1937, who held 5 prefect posts." Dumbledore chuckled. "Suprisingly Zibani was also a Gryffindor." A huge roar of applause rose from the Gryffindor table. "No need for a drum roll eh?" laughed the professor. "Also holding prefect for Quidditch, potions, magical games and sports and the overall prefect for Slytherin is Draco Malfoy." A roar of applause now rang from the Slytherin table. "Would Hermione Granger please come forward." Draco looked towards the Gryffindor table expecting a pretty, slightly blushing girl stand up, but no one came.  
  
Harry and Fred looked at each other questioningly. They'd both been at advanced flying when Hermione had been at advanced potions. (Draco took advanced flying at another time) It wasn't like Hermione to miss at meeting - a full school assembly at that and neither knew where Hermione had gone after the last class.  
  
Murmurs rang throughout the hall and Draco's stomach tightened as the thought of his father getting to Hermione as she was a muggle frightened him. His face gave a tinge of a nervous pink, but decided no to think about it. Why would I care anyway? He thought to himself. She is after all a mudblood. But the squirming inside him did not leave as he waited nervously for Hermione to arrive, hoping and hoping that his father had not got to her first. 


	5. Pink Scents

Author's Notes: ~ Hi from Stella and Liz! Thanks to all the people that have reviewed ~ The story's going a little slow right now, but we promise you that it will get faster soon. Suggest anything that you would like by reviewing or sending it to my email (stella@broomsticksandwands.zzn.com) and I'll pass it on to Liz. Thanks, keep on reading and reviewing! Oh, and for all of you girls who like Draco.don't be heartbroken, because you never know what's gonna happen! (I personally like him too)  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione meanwhile was standing outside Hogwarts. "Oh! I wish I could apparate!" muttered Hermione, glancing at her writ-o-watch. "Its not like I cant."  
  
Suddenly she burst through the Great Doors and walked calmly up the stage as Dumbldore again repeated, "Would Hermione Granger please come forward." 20 different head-of-department Professors gave her twenty prefect badges (Percy got one in his fifth year). The whole hall was amazed.  
  
"Granger.a prefect huh?" said Draco softly and then added as an afterthought, "A prefect missing an emergency meeting."  
  
Everyone near enough to hear agreed with him, of course they would, he was a Malfoy after all.  
  
"Exactly!" retorted Pansy. "Granger's too ugly to be a prefect anyway. Really! We ought to be head prefects in two years time, me and you sharing the same study." she floated away, a distant look in her brown eyes.  
  
As Hermione came down the stairs from the stage and headed towards the Gryffindor table, Dumbledore carried on as if nothing had happened, and if Hermione hadn't imagined it, a cheeky twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Draco Malfoy could you please come forward." Draco smirked as he stood up coolly, pushing back his chair and strolling towards the stage. As he received the badges he was able to flash one of his most charming smirks towards Pansy, knowing that Hermione and the rest of the girls at Hogwarts for that matter, would notice.  
  
Hermione looked scornfully towards Pansy who was giving Draco a look of pure pride and hmphed loudly. What does he think he is? She thought to himself and then answered aloud, "he thinks he's able to charm everyone in the school!"  
  
Ginny who had been sitting beside her staring enchanted at Draco, looked at her strangely, "And he does!" "What?" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't even think about mentioning that to me ever again. He's the most self absorbed git I've ever seen!"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back towards the stage where Draco was now coming back. Harry quickly changed the subject, noticing Hermione's expression. "Where were you today?"  
  
Ginny's attention focused back to Hermione, she too curious at what had happened.  
  
"Uh.I got a little held up." Muttered Hermione.  
  
"A little?" Harry asked quizzically.  
  
"Well, I got held up." She replied again.  
  
"And I believe that you don't want to tell us what exactly happened to you?" Harry asked again.  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"No problems then." Harry answered.  
  
"I hope you weren't with that rusty Goyle?" Ginny eyed her suspiciously as she asked.  
  
"H.How did you find out about Goyle?" Hermione stammered, shocked at Ginny's knowledge of the matter.  
  
"There are such things as rumours you know." Ginny rolled her eyes again as she carried on, "And if you are thinking of liking that pea-brained creature, think again! There are better you know."  
  
"Like who? Your golden haired Draco?" Hermione snapped back, startled and a little hurt at Ginny's remark about Goyle.  
  
"I should think so." Ginny retorted. "Harry is also way better too."  
  
Harry blushed slightly as Ginny lifted her eyebrows and looked at Hermione accusingly. Hermione blushed too, as she thought that she had insulted her all time best friend. "I didn't mean that."  
  
"Its ok, I don't care whether I'm good looking or not." Harry smiled as he saw Hermione stutter from loss of words.  
  
Harry was good looking if you thought about it. His scrawniness from his earlier years had drawn a figure that was slender and slight, his attractive green eyes were filled with kindness and his dark brown hair was soft. If you compared him to Draco, Harry was more on the adorable, soft cute side.like Crookshanks. Crookshanks was cute too only no one said so.  
  
Suddenly there was a tug at Hermione's robes.  
  
"Miao."  
  
"Crookshanks! How'd you get in here gorgeous puss puss?" cooed Hermione lovingly. Crookshanks held a bit of paper at her paw. Scented pink paper. The really expensive type at Madame Zucchis. Hiding Crookshanks under the table, she unfolded the paper.  
  
Roses are red, Violets are blue, You may not know it, But someone loves you.  
  
Her heart leapt. Was it Goyle? It was probably her dreaming. Or was it Harry? Harry was giving her looks.but he was only a friend. She glanced over at the Slytherin table and couldn't see Goyle, but saw Darco staring at her dazed, with his blonde locks framing his face. He turned away quickly, forgetting to smirk at her when Pansy tugged annoyingly at his arm. It was Draco Malfoy was it?! Was there a sweet, soft side to Malfoy? Surely it was Goyle. Who else could have given it to Crookshanks?  
  
"Crookshanks, tell me," she whispered. "Who gave this to you?"  
  
"Miao."answered Crookshanks cheekily licking her furry paw.  
  
Ginny looked over at Hermione and snatched her note.  
  
*  
  
"Luscious, are you sure about this attack? He's a very clever mudblood."  
  
"Parkinson! The Dark Lord would make me his favourite should I kill this mudblood. The plan's all set - we're not turning back. The Dark Lord shall rise and be more powerful than ever. After we destroy everyone supporting Crouch in the Ministry, we will kill the Potter gang. Funny Weasley died before we got to him."  
  
"He may work out our plan Luscious. I've got the portkey ready anyhow. I'll get Wormtail to take it to the train and deliver it to him personally to the Dark Lord." Luscious laughed evilly and sharply. "One of my men will drink a polyjuice potion and die of a deadly disease uner his identity. Alessadro Aless, an asset to the aurors dead. Dead! Dead because of me." 


	6. Black Circles of Mystery

Ginny looked at Hermione again, holding the note firmly in her fist.  
  
"Who's this from?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Hermione stammered.  
  
"It's from Goyle, isn't it?" Ginny gave Hermione one of her fierce glances again.  
  
"I honestly have no idea.Who do you think it must be?"  
  
"It can't have been Harry." Ginny stopped to look at Harry laughing with Fred, and then answered, "No. And who else likes you? So, it draws the conclusion back to Goyle." Ginny passed the note over to Hermione again and she took it gratefully and folded it up, putting it inside the pocket of her robes.  
  
Waiting for lunchtime to call, Hermione strolled down to the Great Hall after her long and tedious class of transfiguration. She had never thought that transfiguration was boring, but with the reminder of the scented note at the front of her brain, it seemed one of the most fatuous classes of all time. Entering the Great Hall, she noticed Fred and George motioning for her to sit down, and also perceived a large parcel wrapped in glittery foil at her place. She hurried towards it and saw a flowery card and she opened it quickly.  
  
Dear my sweet Hermionekins, Here is a book full of the tragedies of Shakespeare. Enjoy. Love from Gregorykins  
  
Hermione's heart leapt, and she carefully unwrapped the parcel finding a thick, leathery book. Hugging it to her chest, she glanced towards the Slytherin table and looked at Goyle who was grinning stupidly. Malfoy looked up from his book and saw Hermione and Goyle smiling at each other and also caught sight of the leather book clutched in Hermione's arms. Casting an evil glare at both of them, he reluctantly went back to his book, hiding his pink face behind it. Ginny and Harry came strolling through the door and Hermione quickly hid the present from the sharp view of Ginny's.  
  
"Hi." Harry greeted brightly to her before settling down in his seat.  
  
Ginny gave her a funny look and Hermione saw parts of the shiny wrapping paper out of the pocket of her robes. Stuffing it back in, Hermione smiled at her and took out a piece of parchment, thinking of writing a reply to Goyle.  
  
*  
  
Malfoy could kick himself for being so stupid. Darn the stupid mudblood. When he looked up again his owl was pecking at his ear.  
  
"What?!" he exclaimed angrily.  
  
His owl handed him a parchment. Draco recognised the seal - all too clearly. "BR" - Black Ring - his father's organisation to destroy all Mudlboods paving the way for the Dark Lord to greatness.  
  
Draco, my boy, (it said) The BR has been successful yet again. We have destroyed Alessandro Aless. Wormtail drank polyjuice potion and 'died' under Aless' identity. The same plan Barty Crouch used. Our next victim (due to popular demand) is Hermione Granger. This way we can catch Harry Potter and perhaps, Dumbledore off guard. Draco, my boy, follow in you father's glorious footsteps and make the vows of the BR. I await your owl no later than midnight tomorrow. That's my boy.  
  
Luscious Malfoy ^BR^  
  
  
  
Harry potter ought to die, thought Draco, so ought Granger. But you like her, said a little annoying voice in his mind. He decided to go to his dorm and empty out his thoughts with a penseive. 


	7. Once upon a time

Once upon a time there was you, Once upon a time there was me, Funny we met. Goyle -  
  
Hermione laughed as she read the note from Goyle and hurriedly reached deep inside her pocket for her Quill.  
  
Once upon a time there was love, Once upon a time there was hate, Funny we love. - Hermione -  
  
Tying the identically phrased note to Crookshank's waiting paw, she watched her run away and scramble up onto Goyle's lap. He beamed at he as he opened it and left it open on the table before he went out to find his bag. They were sitting in Arithmancy, Harry next to Hermione, absent mindedly copying down notes and Goyle next to Crabbe who was busy picking his nose.  
  
Draco looked towards Hermione who sat eagerly waiting for his reply. Glaring at Goyle coming back through the doorway of the classroom, he did not notice Pansy tugging at his arm.  
  
"Draco." Pansy simpered.  
  
Sighing, he turned around to look at Pansy and she whispered, "So, are yougoing to join the BR or not?"  
  
Draco thought silently in his mind before he gave his reply, "Yeah, probably."  
  
"You should! We caqn then finally get rid of the ugly Granger! Together!" Pansy answered ernestly.  
  
Draco forced a smirk onto his good-looking face while his mind said something different. "You're wrong Pansy, you're the one who's ugly."  
  
Pansy smiled sweetly and drew a big heart next to Draco's name in his book.  
  
Draco found the arithmancy numbers funnily comforting and voices in his mind argued to each other about Hermione, about BR - his mind was about to burst with confusion and frustration when he felt a pinch on his arm.  
  
He was about to say, "Shut up Pansy," when he saw Goyle grinning at him stupidly. Goyle shoved Draco the note Hermione had given him.  
  
"She likes me too!" it said at the bottom of the parchment.  
  
Draco fell into disbelief. That smile from Hermione at the meeting - or was she just looking for Goyle? Then his father's voice echoed through his brain.  
  
"Hermione Granger - mudblood and victim" and Pansy's voice, "we can get rid of Granger! Together!"  
  
He had listened to his father all his life. He mindlessly scratched at the heart Pansy had drawn in his book. Granger was special.pretty really. But she was a.  
  
"Mudblood!" he shouted.  
  
The whole class gasped. Goyle stared at Draco thinking it was his angry answer to his note.  
  
Shocked, the professor said, "Mr Malfoy, I ask you not to use profanity and rude words in my class, or any class for that matter. Please sit down and control yourself." Draco blushed and the class broke into a mass of quiet whispers. What would Hermione have thought? Thought Draco. Making up his mind, he prepared a parchment to his father, in becoming a member of the BR.  
  
*  
  
Back in a person's dorm, someone took out a piece of pink scented paper from his drawer.  
  
* The dark smoke filled the room with stifling suffocation. Luscious stood up at the end of a large table, his cold, grey eyes sweeping the room, looking for any sign of guiltiness among his fellow members of the BR.  
  
Draco's mouth was filled with smoke and he coughed softly as Pansy stood next to him, gloating with pride.  
  
Luscious came and stood direftly in front of Draco and Luscious saw the eyes of his son look back up to him, the same likeness of silver of his own eyes, but with a tint of blue displaying his wife's beautiful eyes.  
  
"Draco my boy." Luscious smiled softly, "What an excellent choice you've made.kill the whole Potter gang.you'll seen be the Dark Lord's heir."  
  
Draco turned his eyes downward to stare at his feet and the ground. He didn't really want to kill anyone; killing was not what he wanted. Luscious made his way back towards the head of the table where he thumped loudly on the wood with his fist. "Welcome, my fellow associates of the Black Ring - haters and enemies of mudbloods. We are here to welcome two new members to our organisation, and to also discuss the plans needed to kill our most hated enemies of all, Potter, Granger and Dumbledore." Luscious lifted his eyebrows and his eyes glinted. He gestured towards the back of the table where Draco and Pansy were seated.  
  
"Today, we bring together the children of our blood, my son and Mr and Mrs Parkinon's gorgeous daughter." He smiled and Pansy nudged Draco who looked up and saw his father telling him to come towards the head of the table. Draco stood up slowly and he accompanied Pansy side by side towards Luscious.  
  
"Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson." Draco's father motioned, "you have made the happiest choices in your lives today, we, together as a team will forever deliver our master's joy and his rise to full authority." Pansy smiled at Luscious beside Draco, but Draco could not bear to smile as it hurt him to think that the was going to kill innocent people. 


	8. Love is only once

Everyone says you only fall in love once, but that's not true coz whenever I hear your voice I fall in love all over again.  
  
He sighted. He had taken the words nearly word for word from his diary. This time he had used pink paper with lavender scents. Rather feminine really.  
  
*  
  
Draco reached out idly for a piece of parchment to write to his father when he noticed the small note lying beside his table.  
  
Check out the Graffiti on the Quidditch locker G-  
  
Goyle had written it during charms knowing full well that Draco had already seen it.  
  
GG  
  
4 HG  
  
He would have laughed if it hadn't said HG. His heart suddenly gripped with fear. Was there a good reason to be in love with, all people, a mudblood? What would happen if his father knew?  
  
*  
  
"Oi! Hermione!" Fred screamed as she walked along the crowded corridor.  
  
Hermione turned around quickly, her long, brown hair fluttering behind her back as Lavender stopped next to her. Fred hurried up to Hermione and gave her the familiar pink paper, the smell of lavender crawling up her nose.  
  
"Tell me who it's from!" pleaded Hermione, but Fred just winked mysteriously and disappeared back in the crowd.  
  
"It smells like my name!" squealed Lavender, peering over Hermione's shoulder. "What does it say?"  
  
Hermione opened it and her and Lavender began to read, "Everyone says.." It finished with "Have a sweet day - your charming admirer."  
  
Hermione's thoughts shifted slightly, she was certain that it came from Goyle, but why would he give it to Fred and not sign his name? Oh well, he probably wanted to just keep being a secret admirer for fun. Was it Harry? No.she kept the picture of him out of her head completely.but who else would have been able to give it to Fred? Fred.NO WAY.  
  
At that exact moment Draco and Pansy walked past, arm in arm and Hermione thought that Draco's beautiful blue/grey eyes lingered on her for just a second with a look that was slightly worried, but she brushed that thought away almost instantly. NO WAY would Draco Malfoy have given that note to her or even Fred for that matter. This was Draco Malfoy she was talking about.Luscious Malfoy's son. DRACO MALFOY!!  
  
"Stop saying his name!" Hemione yelled and quickly blushed as she realised half the hallway was staring at her.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Lavender as she looked dumbly at Hermione, the note still in her hand.  
  
"Nothing." Hermione muttered casually and immediately began to walk along the corridor again as if nothing had happened.  
  
Lavender stared at her back for a few seconds before following after her, shaking her head slightly. Hermione burst through the door of the potion's classroom after saying a quick goodbye to Harry as he headed off for advanced flying. She sighed with relief quietly as she noticed that Professor Snape had not yet arrived. Heading towards the back of the classroom where she sat, she looked away as Draco smirked at her.  
  
"Hey fizzhead," greeted Draco as Hermione sat down in the chair next to his.  
  
Hermione made no reply and moved her chair to the far end of their desk as possible.  
  
"There's no need to run away, I wouldn't want to touch an ugly head like yours anyway." Draco said, noticing Hermione moving away from him.  
  
Again not even a sign of an answer came from Hermione. He could see her shaking slightly though and he decided to keep quiet, just for the moment being.  
  
Hermione took out her books and quill and laid them on the table before reaching inside her pocket and taking out a piece of folded pink paper. Opening it up and ripping out a piece of parchment from her own collection, she paused her quill at the top and frowned, thinking hard. Draco leaned over and peered at the note. Hermione closed it immediately and turned to glare at Draco.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked coldly.  
  
"Nothing." As quick as a wink, he darted forward and snatched the note away from Hermione's grip.  
  
Hermione's face turned pink and Draco leaned back in his chair, his eyes glittering maliciously.  
  
"Give it back." Hermione said slowly, but firm.  
  
Draco winked and opened up the note, reading it fast and then turning his gaze back on Hermione. "Who gave this to you?"  
  
"Give it back," Hemione ordered once more. "Give it back you."  
  
By this time Hemione had stood up holding a thick Potions textbook threatingly in her hands. Just as Hermione slammed the textbook onto Draco and as he dodged successfully Professor Snape entered.  
  
"Granger!" he yelled.  
  
Hermione looked up.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?"  
  
"Um." Hemione stuttered, quickly placing her textbook back onto her desk.  
  
"Well?" Professor Snape raised his eyebrows waiting for an answer.  
  
Hermione gazed around at the whole class who were looking at her intently.  
  
"Well, um."  
  
"She accidentally lost grip on her textbook." Draco said from his desk, surprising even himself.  
  
Hemrione looked down.  
  
Realising her jaw was hanging open she closed it instantly and looked back up to Professor Snape smiling sweetly.  
  
Professor Snape eyed Draco suspiciously before replying. "If that is true, would Miss Granger please like to explain why she was standing over Mr Malfoy?"  
  
"I had just stood up to go and talk to er.Lavender on the other side of the room when I accidentally dropped this." Hermione answered pointing to her textbook.  
  
Professor Snape looked towards Draco. "Is this true?"  
  
Draco remained silent, knowing he had made a mistake by speaking out for her. Lavender instead, spoke. "It is true sir, she was going to ask me something in her textbook."  
  
Professor Snape glared at Hemione before concluding. "Very well. It is settled then.Please take a seat Miss Granger and settle yourselves down.  
  
Professor Snape seated himself at his desk and opened the textbook to a marked page. "Today we will learn about the Fungulus Potion."  
  
Draco passed the pink parchment back to Hermione and carried on reading his textbook. Hermione knew that if it had not involved Draco, she would have instantly got detention and so she teared a bit of parchment and wrote 'Thanks' passing it to Draco who was seated silently next to her. He glanced up from his work to look at the note and then instantly scrunched it up and threw it into the bin. Hermione sighed and went back to her work.  
  
So much for thinking that Draco could be nice after all. 


	9. Unbuttonings

Draco was sitting, stretched out, on a velvety sofa in the Slytherin Common Rom. It was after dinner and there was a big commotion. Some (not many) had started on their homework, but more than 80 % were sitting around socialising. It was after all a Slytherin Common Room.  
  
A high shriek of laughter pierced the room. Everyone turned around to see Pansy laughing her head off. She, a lot of other girls, Crabbe and Goyle were sitting around Draco.  
  
"You w.what?!? She screamed in between the laughter.  
  
"I'm going to ask Hermione Granger out." Goyle replied matter of factly.  
  
Another shriek as Pansy and the other girls following suit laughed hysterically. "And why would you want to go out with such a freak?" Pansy asked.  
  
"I.don't think she's a freak" muttered goyle and the added, "Do you Draco?"  
  
Draco leaned back lazily and shrugged. "Don't you ever talk about anything else other than that mudblood?"  
  
Goyle scowled and Draco stood up and gathered his towel. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take a shower in the prefect's bathroom."  
  
He strolled off, swinging his towel behind him shoulder, and the girls surrounding Pansy all giggled identically, standing up and following Draco, still furiously giggling. Goyle scowled further so that his eyebrows joined.  
  
Draco set his towel on the rack and looked in the mirror. He saw a slim boy of fifteen look back at him through serious blue/grey eyes. He sighed and took off his outer robe, placing it on the bench. Starting to unbutton his shirt, he heard a soft giggle and he turned around sharply.  
  
Hiding behind another bench, Draco could clearly see the heavily make upped face of Pansy all her petty friends.  
  
Rolling his eyes, he went towards them and said loudly, "If you have nothing better to do than peer at people taking a shower then I seriously believe that you should consider getting a life."  
  
Pansy stood up from her hiding spot her cheeks flushed red. Draco had never talked to her in this way before. She was PANSY PARKINSON, their parents had always planned for them to be united ever since their births.  
  
Draco, noticing the shocked look on Pansy's face replied, his tone softer, "I'm sorry Pansy, but you do have to realise that you are behaving very immaturely."  
  
Pansy's lips tightened together and she slapped Draco very hard. Gesturing for her surprised and amused friends, she stormed out of the Prefect's bathroom.  
  
Draco locked the door and frowned, his cheek pink and throbbing slightly. He would much rather be friends with Potter gang than them lot. 


	10. letters good or bad?

Goyle laughed loudly in his chair over breakfast the next morning. Draco was in a foul mood because of a meeting with BR that evening and his friend (or so-called friend)'s joyous laughter irritated him immensly.  
  
"Share your joke with the rest of us or keep that unnecessary noise to yourself." Draco said rudely.  
  
Goyle looked at him briefly, Draco sure did seem to need a burst of happiness. "Ok, I'll read it out to you. It's from Hermione."  
  
Draco's mood dropped to an even fouler one by about ten times. It seemed like today was not going to turn out very well.  
  
Goyle however, unaware of his 'friend's' thoughts started reading.  
  
Dear Gregory, How nice it is to call you by your first name! It's a very nice name if you think about it. Gregory Goyle 4 Hermione Goyle! I think that is sweet. We even have the same first letter for our last names! How are you these days? It's a shame we're not in the same house, I feel an urge to see you more often.  
  
Goyle stopped at this point and said, "I don't think I should read further."  
  
Pansy, who had been listening said, "Why? I insist you keep reading! Who would have thought Granger was romantic?"  
  
Goyle hesitated and then thrust the letter under Pansy's stuck up nose and Draco guessed that there was something there which Goyle didn't want him to see. Something about him most likely.  
  
This is what Pansy read,  
  
I have the most utterly horrifying news! All the prefects are to have our own Common Room (we're allowed to go into our house's still of course) and that means that I will have to see Malfoy like every second of the day! It's bad enough having to sit next to him in A. Potions, but sharing the same Common Room?! I know you regard him highly, but I feel he does not treat everyone as well as he treats you and Pansy.if only you were Prefect instead of him!  
  
This was what had made Goyle laugh. Him, a prefect? Not in a million years. Pansy uttered a sigh of envy. She still hadn't forgiven Draco for being mad at her last night but he still was all the girls of Hogwarts' angel and did not want to let go of him unless she had too (which she felt was never).  
  
"Draco, you never told us that the prefects were getting their own Common Room!" Pansy exclaimed.  
  
"Please still come into ours, I'm sure you would much rather be in our company that the mudblood's and others."  
  
Draco shrugged carelessly. "Why? Did Granger say that she hates the sight of me?" "Don't you hate the sight of her?" Pansy asked accusingly.  
  
Draco shrugged again and looked down at his toast. Pansy knew there was something going on. Draco would usually have screamed out loud at the thought of seeing Hermione everyday.  
  
'Draco, do you like her?" asked Pansy slowly.  
  
"What?!" Draco shouted shocked. He forced a smirk upon his weary face. "Guess I have to try and get her trust if I succeed in luring her into our trap." Pansy smiled, and Draco instantly wished he had never opened his mouth.  
  
*  
  
Hermione opened up the letter that Goyle had just passed along.  
  
Dear my sweetest, loveliest Hermione, How very glad to know that you feel exactly the same way as I feel about you. I have an urge to see you more often too. How about we meet sometime behind the quidditch field by the whomping willow? Write back with some ideas. Draco is actually a nice person, you just don't know him well enough. I wish I was sitting next to you in A. Potions, maybe I could ask him if he could swap seats with me!  
  
"Miss Granger!"  
  
Hermione looked up, startled at Professor McGonagall's call. "Yes, professor?"  
  
"I would like you to answer that question I just asked the class."  
  
Hermione felt the warm flush rising up her cheeks as she realised that she had not been listening to Professor McGonagall and had absolutely no idea what so ever to the question that was being asked, let alone the answer.  
  
"Um." What's the question? She frantically thought to herself.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione, eyeing her with suspicion. Hermione had never acted like this in class before.  
  
Harry quickly gave slipped something underneath her arm and she gently moved it so that she could read the little bit of paper.  
  
Why did Alastair Flounder decide to disguise transfigure himself into a piece of clothing?  
  
"Because he needed to escape from the Ministry of Magic and by being a piece of clothing, he was able to sneak into a traveller's suitcase and travel with them to another country."  
  
Professor McGonagall relaxed as she realised that Hermione was still the Hermione she knew. "Perfect answer Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor."  
  
Hermione smiled and then looked at Harry, mouthing a silent 'Thanks.' Harry grinned and mouthed 'No worries' and they both returned their attention to Professor McGonagall who was now telling the class about the importance of transfiguring oneself into an object.  
  
Suddenly there was a thud as Draco fainted from his seat at the other end of the classroom and a shriek as Pansy screamed, stood up from her chair and leapt forward to see what was wrong.  
  
Startled, Professor McGonagall shouted, "Someone quickly get Madam Pomfrey!"  
  
The whole class turned around to stare astounded at the limp, blonde figure on the floor.  
  
But nobody noticed the tiny slip of parchment clutched tightly in Draco's hand.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: Hello!~ Hope you've liked it so far. Thanks to all the people who have reviewed! We are always looking forward to the questions and suggestions. The more the better! Finally there are ten chapters! Anyway, to everyone who's been wondering why we have Goyle: Well, we wanted to make our story original but we promise you that all will turn out. And also, to everyone who's been saying there has been a lack of romance: There's some coming soon! Plus, since we are planning to make this a very long story, if romance blooms in it too soon, there will be too much fluff and stuff and people might get bored with it near the end. But romance is around the corner, so don't be disappointed! Please review!!~ ^o^ ~ 


	11. Fellowship of the Ring?

"Miss Granger," ordered Professor McGonagall sharply. "Take Mr Malfoy to the hospital wing please."  
  
Hermione stepped forward shocked to see those greyish blue eyes sunken within Draco's deathly pale face. She made feeble attempts to lift his arms onto her soulders but then Goyle tapped her on her back motioning for her to move aside.  
  
"Yo, boy." She heard Goyle whisper to Draco. "It's ok."  
  
She accompanied Goyle to the hospital wing and left him on the double bed when she suddenly noticed that Draco's left hand was scrunched up tightly into a fist, his arms tense. She peeled back his fingers gently one by one until she found a tiny ball of parchment. She looked round anxiously and as Goyle turned around, dropped it into her cloak pocket.  
  
She would read it later.  
  
*  
  
Up in her dormitory she crept uner her blankets revealing the blackish yellowish parchment. She ran her fingers across the crumpled piece of paper finding the uneven bumps of a seal.  
  
"Lumos!"  
  
Black Ring. Black Ring seal? She thought wildly. So it wasn't from Pansy Parkinson after all. She ran through her mind searching high and low for mention of the Black Ring. Had she heard it somewhere? It wasn't in Hogwarts: A History, of that she was sure.  
  
Black.Black.Ring.Black! The Dark Lord! Few words could be made out from the letter. It looked like a letter.  
  
Dear.kill.power.me.mudbloods.ger.po.black ring.do you father proud.mal.  
  
Her eyes opened wide in utter disbelief as she focused her entire concentration on the few words that she could see on the wrinkly parchment. She was very sure that this letter had been sent to Draco by his father, figuring the phrase 'do your father proud', but even then it may have been form someone who knew his father well.  
  
Being unusually well co-ordinated in her right and left brain she pushed her logical-mathematical and linguistic powers to the limit. So. She'd worked out it was from Draco's father. Deducing that black meant the Dark Lord left her in the middle of nowhere. What about ring? Lord of the Rings. A journey? What's Draco got to do with a journey? Hang on. A fellowship. Hermione felt a surge of excitement sweeping up her spine.  
  
A fellowship. A group. An organisation.  
  
Oh! An organisation for the Dark Lord!  
  
*  
  
She struggled to put together the rest of the jigsaw pieces together when the door of the dormitory opened and she looked up, carefully placing the letter under the pillow. Lavender and Parvati entered the dormitory, smiling slyly.  
  
"Hermione!" Lavender squealed and they both came to sit on the edge of her four poster bed.  
  
"Oh. Hi." Hermione sat up and leaned against the head of her bed and smiled warmly at the two girls.  
  
"You got to carry Draco to the hospital wing! What was it like?"  
  
Hermione's smile quickly faded from her face. "I did not carry Malfoy. Gregory did. Plus he's a jerk, what do you see in him anyway?"  
  
"WHAT DO WE SEE IN HIM?" Parvati exclaimed. "You can figure that out even if you just look at him for a milli second!"  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Plus, I'm going out with Gregory."  
  
Both girls pretended to gag. Lavender sat at the end of the bed, smoothed the sheets with her perfectly manicured fingers and launched into a deep long lecture.  
  
"Hermione, this is the way you classify worthy guys."  
  
Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. 


	12. Captian Hook

Draco felt like he was snorkelling. He could see a mass of sponges, seaweed and even microscopic phytoplankton. A school of silvery grey fish swam past. And then peeking from the seaweed came a little red head.  
  
It was a fish.  
  
For some reason, Draco felt that this red fish was familiar. He watched it as it gently nibbled on a piece of wet, green, slushy sponge.  
  
Suddenly a picture swam into his view. It was a familiar mob of brown, turning around it became beautiful hazel circles in the middle of a delicate face.  
  
Hermione?  
  
Swimming closer to the fish, he saw that it looked mournful and longing for something that had apparently not been given to it. It had a large scrape on the side of its belly and its tail looked badly beaten.  
  
This can't be Hermione! Draco thought wildly. Hermione's a happy girl with nothing to worry about except her schoolwork. How would she suffer pain with this depth? A nasty voice fought back his statements from inside his head. How do you know? You never knew her properly, you were too shy!  
  
The fish cocked its little head at him, as if she knew who he was. He did not know himself what he was, but he guessed that he too was a type of sea creature. Suddenly a large hook sank down from above the water and rested straight above their fish like faces. Hanging from the hook was a small fish and Draco heard his fishy belly rumbling with hunger at the smell of this fish.  
  
Resisting the urge to reach forward and bite the hook, he looked at Hermione. He could see she was fighting as well, and he knew what it felt like to be so hungry but to not be able to eat, even if food was staring you right in the face.  
  
Suddenly another hook reached down towards them. This time it held a large fish. A more tastier fish. Draco found himself licking his lips, even if he knew that fishes did not lick lips.  
  
Busy concentrating on his own worries of not lunging forward and grabbing the food, he did not notice Hermione dart forward next to him until the last minute when he knocked her over and landed painfully on one of the hooks.  
  
As the sharp point pierced him in his scaly flesh, he was able to see the owner of the monstrous hook. The owner had an unusually familiar face with long blonde hair and steel grey eyes.  
  
Father! Father! Draco's vision steered unpleasantly and he felt himself being lifted from the water.he was rising higher and higher - doing so drawing nearer and nearer to his fate.  
  
*  
  
Jumping up from his sleep, Draco realised he had been dreaming. Sweat tingled his brow and he rubbed at it, relieved to find himself safe in the hospital wing, the warm covers draped over his tired body.  
  
Why had he had that dream? What had Hermione got to do with fish or even worse his father?  
  
It hit him straight in the middle of his head. Of course! It was the Black Ring! Why hadn't he realised all this before?  
  
Jumping up and changing into his Slytherin uniform, he grabbed his robe and hurried out of the hospital wing, careful not to wake Madam Pomfrey who was asleep in the corner. Finding the staircases and hurrying to the Entrance Hall, he could only think of one thing filling his head.  
  
Hermione. Hermione. There is a Black Ring meeting tonight. I was supposed to attend it. I need to go to it. I need to stop my father. NOW! 


	13. Encounters in the Great Hall

Yawning from the desk in the Prefect's Common Room, she stood up and stretched, closing her A. Potions textbook shut. The fire was burning peacefully in the grate next to her and the other prefects were sitting in squashy armchairs reading books or doing homework.  
  
She looked around at the new room that she was not going to live in for the rest of the year. The banners for the four houses were hanging over their heads since the prefects came from all four of the Hogwart's houses. A portrait on the far side of the room was the entrance to their bathroom, clean, sparkling and filed with sweet-scented smells. A staircase on the right hand side lead to the dormitories for female prefects and staircases on the left lead towards the boys'.  
  
How peaceful everything is in here. Hermione thought to herself. Prefects always do their homework, therefore making the room quiet and to my liking.  
  
She smiled happily. She was going to enjoy being here.  
  
Malfoy.  
  
Her smile was wiped form her face. He's going to be here too. He'll annoy me all the time. How unfortunate.  
  
Leaving her books on the table, she decided to visit Harry in the Gryffindor Common Room and see what he was up to. Deciding to take the shortcut through the Entrance hal, she reached it and saw a blonde-haired figure opening the door to go outside.  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
He turned, surprised and quickly shut the door behind him. Hermione was surprised to see relief in his expression.  
  
"H-Hermione!" he stammered.  
  
Shocked, she went up to him. "I thought you were in the Hospital Wing! What are you doing out here?" and then adding as if an afterthought, "and what did you just say?" Realising with horror what he had called her, he transformed his expressions into his normal smirk and said with his usual drawl, "Granger. How surprising. Wondering around, planning to two-time on your boyfriend are you? Always knew you fancied Potter, but never knew you'd go so low as to cheat on Goyle as well."  
  
Hermione's face stiffened. "Harry's only a friend."  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow professionally and deepened his smrik. "If you'll excuse me, I'll head towards our Common Room."  
  
He flashed her one last smirk and brushed past her, strolling in the way of the Prefect's Common Room.  
  
Steaming and flushed, Hermione stormed her way to the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
Author's Notes: ~ I know this was like really really short. It was going to be a longer chapter but then I decided to delay the rest onto another chapter. I promise the other one will be longer. Hopefully.  
  
Anyways please keep on reviewing!! Happy Reading!~  
  
Note to Eden: I thought you said you were going to review again! Hurry up girl! 


	14. Lost for Words

Hermione had been sitting in the chair next to Harry for quite some time now. He had been listening to her complaining about Malfoy and now she was sulking.  
  
Ginny had been doing her homework on the floor next to them and she shook her head exasperated at Hermione and said, "Stop fussing. It's coz you're always annoying him as well. You won't let him be himself, you're always expecting him to annoy you which makes everything seem more annoyin."  
  
Hermione sniffled. "How would you know? You don't know him. I was actually trying to be nice to him today! You only say that because you wish to be his charming princess."  
  
Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but was silenced by Harry's warning glance. "Don't worry Hermione. We all know Malfoy's an evil git."  
  
Hermione smiled gratefully at Harry and Ginny rolled her eyes and went back to her History of Magic essay.  
  
*  
  
Reaching the Prefect's Common Room again, she looked up at the Portrait of a middle-aged man.  
  
"United." She announced.  
  
The portrait swung open and she stepped inside. She saw no one in the Common Room except Malfoy who was wearing black and reading his transfiguration essay. She sat down on the couch opposite him and reached forward to get her A. Potions textbook that she had left on the table before she went out.  
  
Draco looked up from his essay, put it between his textbook and slammed it shut. Glancing up from the sudden noise, Hermione saw Draco standing up to leave.  
  
"Malfoy, I need to ask you something."  
  
He turned and sneered. "And why would I take questions from a Mudblood?"  
  
She didn't flinch at the familiar insult he'd thrown at her. She'd already heard it too many times to care. Draco turned away again and began walking.  
  
"What have you got to do with a certain Black Ring?"  
  
Draco stopped in mid-step and sailed around. His sneer was gone and his face held an expression of utmost horror. Not unlike the expression he had when she had found him in the Entrance Hall.  
  
"H- How -?" he left off.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I read the letter that you had in your fist when you were unconscious." Hermione said promptly.  
  
Draco looked lost for words. Hermione had never seen him in this state before. Quickly he glanced at the floor and then looked up to bore his eyes into hers.  
  
"I've never heard of it before. It had nothing to do with me."  
  
He then turned away and climbed the staircase for the boys' dormitories leaving Hermione to stare at his retreating back.  
  
----------------`------------------~----------------~-------------  
  
Author's Notes: I know again! It was short. I tried ok? I really did. Don't kill me. Anyway, nobody's reviewing it, I'll only post after fifteen chapters if people start reviewing again.  
  
Happy Reading and Happy Christmas! 


	15. Maybe Both

Hermione blinked and scrabbled for her alarm that was ringing noisily. Groggily, she sat up and yawned, grabbed a twel from the drawer, drapd her robe over her pyjamas and headed downstairs towards the showers.  
  
Setting her foot in their Prefect's Common Room, she saw Draco coming out from the boys' bathroom. His blonde hair was wet and falling over his grey/blue eyes and his lean chest looked good with only a towel wrapped around his waist.  
  
Hannah Abbot who was the Prefect for Hufflepuff came down the stairs and froze when she saw Draco. Rolling her eyes, Hermione started to walk back towards the bathroom, when Draco said,  
  
"Good morning Mudblood."  
  
Hermione turned around to glare at Draco, but he ignored her and instead gave Hannah a charming wink. Disgusted, Hermione slammed the door of the bathroom shut and turned the shower on.  
  
*  
  
"Drakey!" Pansy yelled as he arrived in the Great Hall for their usual breakfast.  
  
Draco forced a smile on his face and she gestured for him to sit down next to her.  
  
"Are you ok now?" she simpered, grabbing hold of his arm and dragging him down into his seat.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ohhhhhhh! It was so bad last night." Pansy continued, "You weren't there and I didn't have anyone decent to talk to."  
  
"umm."  
  
"And plus, you missed out on some important information your father gave to us. I said to him you were ill, so he isn't angry at you for missing it. He told me to tell you that since Hogwarts is having the usual Christmas ball, he wants you to ask her to go with you - "  
  
"A Christmas ball?" Draco interrupted.  
  
"Yes. The Yule Ball."  
  
"Oh, that."  
  
"Well, that's pretty annoying for me because I want and deserves to go with you, but you have to promise to dance with me for at least one dance and you've also got to gain her trust - "  
  
"Pansy, I er - need to do something. Could you excuse me for a sec?"  
  
Pansy closed her mouth and looked haughtily at him as he started walking towards the Gryffindor table. He approached Hermione who was busy laughing with Harry and tapped her shoulder softly.  
  
"Granger, could I talk to you?"  
  
Hermione stared at him. "Actually, I want to ask you something myself. Would you mind swapping places with Goyle in A. Potions?"  
  
It was Draco's turn this time to stare at her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Draco decided to go back to his smirking self as this was not going to work.  
  
"That's fine with me! Who wanted to sit next to a mudblood with a fizzhead anyway?" Draco yelled as he walked away  
  
Harry leaned over to whisper in Hermione's ear. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
Hermione shrugged. "Have you seen him any other way?"  
  
"Well, he'd never usually just ask to talk to you." Harry answered.  
  
"It's Prefect business." Hermione replied promptly and from the tone of her voice, Harry did not press further.  
  
*  
  
Draco scowled from his seat next to Crabbe as he looked behind his shoulder to see Hermione and Goyle giggling together. Crabbe was noisily sniffing beside him and Draco wished he could stand up and just strangle him.  
  
Draco perked up his ear as he heard Hermione say to Goyle, "I'm not getting any more notes from you."  
  
Goyle smiled and flicked Hermione's hair from her shoulder. "We know how we feel about each other now. There's no more need for notes."  
  
Hermione pouted her face into a silly sad expression.. "But I like getting them!"  
  
Goyle squeezed her arm. "Then, I would not sadden my dearest princess."  
  
Hermione smiled as Draco sighed and closed his eyes while Crabbe sniffed loudly and also snorted while doing so.  
  
Professor Snape walked in and thumped his books onto his table grabbing the class's attention. "First off, we will be handing in our homework from last night. Put your hands up the people who did not do it."  
  
Goyle looked around and he and a few others, including Crabbe, sheepishly put up their hands.  
  
Professor Snape was about to ask 'why not' when he noticed he was sitting next to Hermione. "Why have you swapped places Goyle?'  
  
"Hermione wanted us to swap so that she could sit next to her dearest love. I'm very very sad because she doesn't think of me as her dearest." Malfoy put on a mock sad expression and the whole class laughed except Hermione, Goyle and Crabbe who was too busy with his nasal problems to notice anything else.  
  
Professor Snape then said greasily, "Well, Miss Granger, I trust you to know what will happen enxt. You will tell your love to go back to his own desk and tell Mr Malfoy to move back into his seat. You will also lose fourty points from Gryffindor."  
  
Hermione opened her mouth in disbelief, but closed it again and Goyle stood up, collected his books and started moving towards his own desk.  
  
Malfoy stood up smirked at Hermione and clapped Goyle on the back. Placing his books on the table, he gave Hermione another mock 'you left me alone' expression and the whole class laughed again.  
  
Hermione but her lip sharply and stared straight ahead, her cheaks flushing with anger - or was it embarrassment?  
  
Maybe both.  
  
----------------------------------------~---------------~----------  
  
Author's Notes: There, I've done it! It's not a short chapter! Told everyone to review before - that's practically it. Please send me suggestions. Please. And romantic people who are still waiting for proper fluff, well I reckon too much fluff ruins the story, so wait a little while longer.  
  
Happy Reading! I hope it's a white Christmas here ^o^ 


	16. Knotted Thoughts

Draco was sitting in the Slytherin Common Room when Goyle and Pansy came barging in through the portrait hole.  
  
"Drakey!" Pansy screamed. "We have to go to our MEETING." She stressed the word meeting loudly and Draco closed his eyes silently in embarrassment.  
  
"Don't. Call. Me. That."  
  
"What?" Pansy asked.  
  
Draco's pale cheeks tinted a slight shade of pink and Goyle sensed danger - very soon.  
  
"Um - Pansy - er - why don't you hurry along to find Blaise - er - me and Draco need to talk."  
  
"What about our MEETING?"  
  
"Draco's still not feeling very well. Tell Mr Malfoy that his son's still sick." Goyle pushed on Pansy's back and lead her towards the other Slytherins in the Common Room. Then he came back to Draco and sat on the couch opposite him.  
  
"Who are you taking to the Yule Ball?"  
  
Draco looked up. Damn! He had forgotten to ask Hermione that afternoon. "No one yet."  
  
"I'm going to with Hermione. It was mean how you embarrassed her today in A. Potions."  
  
Draco's mind screamed with frustration. Now, I can't succeed to get Hermione's trust. Double damn. "Well, she deserves to be treated like that."  
  
Goyle scowled. "No she doesn't."  
  
'Whatever. I don't really care. Anyway thanks for your help with Pansy. I better head back to my Common Room now." Draco stood up and strolled out of the Common Room, aware of being the attention of many of the girls.  
  
When he reached the Common Room, he saw Hermione sitting with the other 5th Year Prefects; Hannah Abbot and Lavender Brown. Lavender had only found out today that she was Prefect for Divination and Hermione was delighted to have some friendly company.  
  
"Malfoy!"  
  
Draco approached the group of girls. He raised his eyebrows expectantly, his way of saying 'what?'  
  
"You have to work with us on preparing for the Yule Ball."  
  
Draco was about to open his mouth, when Hermione continued. "However, you don't need to do anything. We decided that we didn't want to work with a conceited prt so we only told you about it today. The ball's tomorrow. Hannah and I have already done everything. Thought you'd like to know."  
  
Looking bored, he answered lazily. "I'm honoured to be the center of your thoughts."  
  
He walked away and Hannah and Lavender goggled at him as he went up the stairway, carelessely flicking his hair from his eyes.  
  
"He's sooooooo gorgeous!" Lavender squealed beside her and Hermione slappe her arm as Hannah nodded, dazed.  
  
*  
  
Hermione opened her eyes and turned the light on. Looking at the clock, Hermione realized it was still the middle of the night. Deciding to get some water from the Common Room downstairs, she opened the door to her room and headed across the hallway and downstairs.  
  
Lighting up her wand so that she could find her way to the sink, she saw a familiar blonde head resting upon the small desk. Quietly she crept forward and saw he was wearing black pyjamas and his eyes were closed. Glancing for one mindless second at his peaceful, sleeping face she noticed a piece of parchment underneath his arm and a quill clutched loosely in his hand.  
  
Poor fellow. She thought to herself. She was after all half-asleep. He's fallen asleep writing something.  
  
Sliding the parchment from his grip, her eyes lingered on it and the word 'Lord Voldemort' caught her attention. Unable to resist she quickly read the passage quietly.  
  
It said:  
  
My father's been hitting mother again. I can't stand it when he does that. Whenever I try to stop him, he throws me the Cruciatus Curse. It hurts like Lord Voldemort himself.  
  
Everything I say and do now all fell like they don't belong to me. Deceit likes wherever I go or stay. There's no hope for me anymore. I am nothing more than a bunch of tangled lies.  
  
Shocked, Hermione quickly placed the parchment back beside Draco on the desk again and he hurriedly made her way back up the flight of stairs to her dormitory; forgetting her drink of water in her amazement.  
  
Sliding under her warm bed covers and snuggling into her pillow she remembered Draco's last sentence before she fell back asleep.  
  
'I'm nothing more than a bunch of tangled lies.' 


	17. No clue

Hermione went up to Gryffindor Tower. She smiled as she saw Harry sitting with Ginny and Fred and George in one corner of the Common Room.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Harry greeted.  
  
Hermione smiled again as she came to sit down next to them. "Who are you going to the ball tonight with?"  
  
Harry blushed and gestured to Ginny. Ginny smiled. "He asked me just before. I'm lucky to be able to go with like one of the best looking guys in the school!" Harry blushed further.  
  
Fred grinned. "And who's our Prefect going to go with?"  
  
"Gregory." Hermione replied promptly.  
  
"Who the hell-"  
  
"Is Gregory?" Fred and George asked.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Who do you think? Goyle!"  
  
All three boys snorted loudly.  
  
"What?" Hermione said sharply.  
  
"Goyle, you're going with Goyle?"  
  
"Yes." Hermione replied matter of factly. "And?"  
  
"Don't worry." Fred answered knowing that insulting Goyle would only make matters worse and George took out a neatly folded parchment form his robe pocket. "Here."  
  
Hermione took it and smelt the scent. It was rose. She opened it and read what it contained.  
  
The first time I saw you, I knew it was true, That I'd love you forever and that's what I'll do, You don't know what you do to me You don't have a clue, You don't know what it's like to be looking at you! Have a good time at the ball tonight. Your very secret love.  
  
Hermione looked up, her cheeks flushed with happiness. "George, who gave it to you? Was it Gregory?"  
  
George shook his head. Hermione looked desperately at Fred. He too tapped his nose.  
  
Hermione turned to harry and Ginny. "Do you know?"  
  
"No idea." Harry answered.  
  
Hermione folded the letter and gently placed it in her robes. She would ask Goyle later.  
  
*  
  
Someone leaned back on his bed after giving the note to George. He hoped she would get it soon. 


	18. He's single!

Hermione, Lavender and Hannah were in Hermione's room getting ready for the ball that was due to start in two hours.  
  
"Your dress is sooooo beautiful!" Lavender cooed.  
  
It was a strapless, pale blue, ankle length dress that fitted tightly and emphasised Hermione's perfect figure. She and Hannah and decided on a muggle theme and theyw ere not going to the ball in dress robes.  
  
"Thank you." Hermione said, straightening the curves in her dress carefully before placing matching blue and white flowers in her shoulder - length wavy hair.  
  
Lavender was also looking strikingly pretty in her dark red, romantic dress, which brushed the floor when she walked. Her hair was tied up into a pretty bun with strands of her dark blonde hair framing her face.  
  
"Do you know who Draco's going with?" Hannah asked as she fitted on her elbow length gloves that matched her elegant silver dress.  
  
"No one apparently." Lavender answered putting on mascara. "Then at least I can grab his attention at the ball and hopefully be his partner. Seamus asked me, but I refused."  
  
Hermione frowned slightly while lightly tinting her eyes with blue eyeshadow. "Why do you want to go with him anyway? I'd rather Seamus that Malfoy."  
  
Hannah and Lavender both turned to look at Hermione funny.  
  
"What's Pansy going to do then?" Hermione continued oblivious to the stares she was receiving.  
  
"I reckon he actually refused her offer." Hannah giggled. "I can't imagine the racket she caused."  
  
"I haven't asked you who you're going with yet." Lavender said, putting finishing touches onto her lips and looking at Hannah.  
  
"Oh me." Hannah sighed. "I'm going with Justin."  
  
"What's wrong with that?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Nothing. Only if I knew Draco was going single then I would have gone single as well."  
  
"Hey!" Lavender exclaimed. "That's my man! Lay off!"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Stop being so pathetic. He's Pansy's."  
  
"He's not though." Lavender said again. "That's the whole point!"  
  
Hermione disappeared into the hallway.  
  
*  
  
Draco sighed. Only half an hour until the ball. He looked at himself in the mirror. Since the theme was 'Muggle', he was forced into muggle clothing; wearing a black suit and shirt but a white tie he had to admit he looked pretty stunning. His hair was gelled and spiked - making sure it looked as natural as possible. When Goyle sometimes tried it, he looked as if his whole hair was having an electric shock. Draco knew his hair looked great.  
  
*  
  
Hermione and Goyle met Harry and Ginny in the Entrance hall where people had gathered waiting to go into the Great Hall. Ginny looked adorable in her orange dress that matched her hair and harry looked gorgeous in a navy blue suit and a lighter blue shirt.  
  
"Hello Hermione, Goyle." Harry smiled. Hermione thought his green eyes looked more alive today than ever.  
  
Hermione smiled prettily back at him and Goyle nodded his head in greeting. Goyle had tried to spike his hair again making his whole head stand up and looked more unusual in his pale purple suit and dark green shirt.  
  
The door to the Great Hall opened and Ginny and Harry walked through while Hermione and Goyle made their way towards the small room where they had entered when they came to Hogwarts first and where the prefects were going to enter tonight.  
  
Professor McGonagall waited with them in the room reminding them all strongly of their first year sorting ceremony. Hermione could see the lights blazing from the hall and some wizard music. For their theme however, Hermione and Hannah decided to do a music video thing with Sk8ter Boi by Avril Lavigne.  
  
They heard Professor Dumbledore stand up and introduce the ball to the students and the crowd cheering. The prefects then started to go out with their partners, their head boy and girl - Angelina Johnson and Terence Higgs first then the 6th year prefects and lastly the 5th year prefects. Lavender went out first by herself to loud amounts of cheering, Hnnah and Justin next and finally Hermione and Goyle.  
  
Hermione could see Harry grinning at her from the crowd, Ginny clapping politely and she was also surprised to hear many wolf-whistlers in the crowd as well as goggling guys.  
  
She looked pretty and she knew it. 


	19. An innocent drummer turned into?

Draco opened his eyes and looked at the clock. CRAP! He had dozed off and now he was going to be late for the ball. Looking in the mirror one last time, he rushed off down the hallway and into the room where the Prefects were supposed to meet. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and calm himself down. Finally he opened the door and felt everyone's eyes fall to him.  
  
"Sorry Professor." He said to Professor McGonagall who was standing by the door, and went forward to join the other Prefects on the stage.  
  
The girls were dumbstruck. They all knew he was hot, but they had never seen him this sexy before. "Damn, he's fine." Lavender whispered to Hermione and Hermione glared at her as Dumbledore continued to speak.  
  
"Now that we have everyone here who should be - let the ball begin!"  
  
The Prefects moved down from the stage and Hermione stood in the middle of the dance floor. "Listen up everyone! Tonight we will be celebrating our muggle theme with a song. It's called Sk8ter Boi. We will be acting the story out so we need people to be the characters. I will be posting the words on this board here so you can see what the story is about and then you are to nominate people for the specific roles. There will be 4 boxes for the names - one for the Sk8ter Boi, the Sk8ter girl, the other girl and another for Avril - just so that another person also gets a chance to act. Thank you."  
  
The crowd cheered and Hermione smiled and placed the boxes on the side of the stage and stuck the words on the board. Finding Goyle and linking arms with him, she took him to the dance floor for the first song.  
  
*  
  
Draco was getting bored. Practically 75% of the girl population had asked him to dance, but he had refused every single one saying he was tired. Pansy was whining next to him about him promising to dance with her at least once and he decided to dance the next fast song with her so that she could shut up.  
  
"Fine." Draco finally announced. "ONE dance."  
  
Pansy smiled happily and she led him to the dance floor. Draco saw Hermione still dancing with Goyle and he waved smugly. Hermione gave him the evils and looked away. Meanwhile Pansy was having fun dancing with Draco. Most of the girls were staring at her with envy and she liked it - very much indeed.  
  
When the song finished, Draco went off to get a drink and looked out through the window into the courtyard. He saw Hermione sitting on a rose covered bench, snow falling around her - with Goyle. Harry and Ginny came towards him and Draco sneered.  
  
"Hey Potter, look what your ex is doing. Pashing Goyle in the snow."  
  
Harry frowned. "That's lame Malfoy. You know she was never my girlfriend."  
  
"Who was? Dumbledore? He seemed to favour you a lot." Draco smirked and walked away, Harry's arms tense with anger.  
  
*  
  
Hermione snuggled into Goyle's broad ( a bit too broad ) chest, soft white snow falling into her hair. Goyle stroked it and then whispered into her ear,  
  
"We better go back in now, it's time for your song."  
  
Hermione nodded and hand in hand, they walked back into the crowded hall. She walked up to the three boxes and clapped her hands. The music stopped abruptly. "Everyone! It's time for the selection of our four cast members. Not different from the selection of our Triwizard Tournament last year, the boxes will submit to us the name of the person most voted for their role. Please come up onto the stage if your name is announced."  
  
The crowd waited silently for the parchment and the name to pop up out of the first box. They needed not to have waited long because with a crackle and a bang, the first folded parchment came through. Hermione grabbed it and opened it. She smiled.  
  
"Our singer tonight is."  
  
From behind the stage, Draco rolled the drums. He had to do something to show he was part of the organisation so Hermione had given him the drummer role.  
  
"Lavender Brown of Gryffindor House!"  
  
Lavender screamed in delight and hurried forward onto the stage.  
  
The next parchment slid through the opening of the box.  
  
"Our girl is." She opened it, looked puzzled for a moment and then smiled as the drums rolled.  
  
"Me!"  
  
The crowed cheered and Hermione could hear Fred and George wolf-whistling behind Harry.  
  
Hermione carried on, picking the next name from the box. Opening it, she scowled.  
  
"Our Sk8ter girl is."  
  
The familiar drums again.  
  
"Pansy Parkinson of Slytherin House!"  
  
The Slytherins in the crowd cheered and howled and Pansy shrieked with happiness while embracing her friends and rushing towards the stage. Lavender glared at her and Pansy glared fiercely back.  
  
At last it was the final slip of parchment. Hermione opened it. "Our Sk8ter Boi is."  
  
Draco rolled the drums one last time when he saw his signal from Hermione beeping. He then came out from under the stage. He walked past the crowds and towards the drink table. He could not hear the announcements from under the stage and so he had no idea whatsoever about the goings on.  
  
"Malfoy!" Hermione called.  
  
Draco looked up surprised.  
  
"Get your butt over here! Now!"  
  
Wondering what the hell was going on he walked up to Hermione.  
  
"You're Sk8ter Boi." She mumbled.  
  
----------------------------------------------- ~~ ------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: Please review!~ It's not going to be long before the first part of this story finishes. Uh huh, the whole story is not going to be in here, there's gonna be a sequel. And about this Sk8ter Boi thing, don't you think it suits the story? Draco and Hermione kind of thing? Anyway Happy Reading ~ ^^ 


	20. The Soul that is Inside

As soon as Draco had registered what Hermione had just said, his formal attire was instantly transformed. No longer wearing a suit, he was now wearing baggy jeans, a sleeveless white top and a chain necklace, a skateboard lying beside him. The girls screamed and shrieked and Lavender came into the light, now wearing a mini-skirt, white blouse and a loose black tie.  
  
The song started.  
  
He was a boy,  
  
She was a girl  
  
Hermione and Draco walked in and posed on the stage.  
  
He was a punk  
  
She did ballet What more can I say.  
  
He wanted her  
  
Draco winked and the girls howled in the audience.  
  
She'd never tell.  
  
Hermione crossed her arms and turned away from Draco.  
  
Secretly she wanted him as well.  
  
All of her friends stuck up their nose The had a problem with his bossy clothes.  
  
Harry and Ginny were pushed onto the stage and they turned their backs on Draco.  
  
He was a sk8ter boi  
  
She said see you later boi He wasn't good enough for her She had a pretty face But her head was up in space She needed to come back down to Earth.  
  
Five years from now  
  
She sits at home Feeding the baby she's all alone  
  
Hermione found herself sitting on a couch a baby doll in her arms.  
  
She turns on TV  
  
Guess who she sees Sk8ter boi rocking up MTV She rings up her friends  
  
Hermione rush to the magically appeared phone and pretends to dial a number.  
  
They already know  
  
And they have bought tickets to see his show  
  
Ginny picks up the other phone and starts nodding.  
  
She tags along  
  
Stands in the crowd Looks up at the man that she turned down  
  
Draco found himself with a guitar and he pretended to play it, stopping in the middle of the chorus and giving Hermione a 'I really miss you' ook.  
  
He was a sk8ter boi  
  
She said see you later boi He wasn't good enough for her Now he's a superstar Slamming on his guitar Does her pretty face see what he's worth. (*2)  
  
Pansy walked out wearing a hot pink tank top and hipster jeans that hugged her figure. She came up to Hermione and stood before her, smirking and shaking her head slowly.  
  
Sorry girl but you missed out  
  
Tough luck but that boi's mine now We are more than just good friends This is how the story ends Too bad that you couldn't see See the man that boi could be There is more than meets the eye I see the soul that is inside.  
  
Pansy then came up to Draco and he put an arm around her.  
  
He's just a boi And I'm just a girl Can I make it anymore obvious We are in love Haven't you heard We rock each other's world.  
  
Draco and Pansy moved off to the side and Hermione stood at the center of the stage looking towards them with longing in her eyes. The light moved back towards Draco and Pansy.  
  
He was a sk8ter boi  
  
I said see you later boi I'll be backstage after the show I'll be in our studio Singing the song we wrote About the girl you used to know.(*2)  
  
The song ended, the lights brightened in the hall and Lavender smiled and bowed from the mike. Hermione also smiled, blowing a kiss to Goyle and Draco and Pansy waved to the audience, Draco giving the crowd a long forgotten genuine smil.  
  
Hermione looked at him. If only he would do that more often. 


	21. Glittering Lipgloss

Hermione and Goyle found the Lover's Seat in the left wing of the large ballroom and called for the 'Lover's Fondue' which the house elves had provided, filling it with small delicacies.  
  
Goyle playfully flicked a grape pip at Hermione, both of them cracking up in laughter at the smallest things. Hermione fed Goyle a half eaten grape, which Goyle gobbled up quite impolitely, however anything Goyle did made Hermione smile.  
  
Hermione's lips glittered from the lipgloss she was wearing. Goyle found it strangely attractive as she laughed happily. He suddenly pulled her close and she looked at him, surprised. Leaning forward he stroked the strands of loose hair framing her flushed face and gently pressed his lips against hers, the slight touch feeling soft and magical.  
  
*  
  
"Come on Drakey!"  
  
"What?" Draco looked up angrily to find Pansy whining next to him. Duh, who else would have called him 'Drakey.'  
  
"Pansy, go away. I've already danced with you." Draco fiddled with his tie, straightening it out. After the musical mimes, he had been changed automatically back into his usual attire.  
  
"I know, but since you love and I you, I want you to come to the Lover's Seat with me! You wouldn't got there with me last year sot it's about time you went."  
  
Draco sighed. "Pansy, we're not a couple. I came to this ball by myself okay? I'm SINGLE! Put that fact in your shallow head!"  
  
Pansy however, pretended she didn't hear this comment and pulled Draco to his feet, dragging him across the ballroom. "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."  
  
Some girls giggled and Draco sighed wishing with all his might that he would suddenly turn into an old, wrinkled and ugly man.  
  
Pansy opened the door to the Lover's Seat.  
  
"I don't want to."  
  
Draco stopped in mid sentence. There were already a few people in there. Two, which he knew very well indeed. This was going to be interesting after all.  
  
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here."  
  
Hermione broke away from Goyle and looked at Malfoy. "And what is your problem?"  
  
"I actually have quite a few problems Granger, if you're really concerned. And one that concerns you is this: I don't want you giving your filthy mudblood germs to my friend."  
  
Goyle frowned and stood up. "Draco! Apologise now."  
  
Draco smirked and sat down. "It isn't my fault she's a mudblood."  
  
Hermione glared at him. She couldn't believe that she had actually felt sorry for him once when she found his diary. And she also couldn't believe that she thought Draco should smile more often, it was obviously a hallucination. She tugged on Goyle' arm and they went out, Draco's icy grey/blue eyes following her all the way.  
  
Pansy sat down next to him. "Like OMG! I can't believe Goyle actually kissed her! Now that's just wrong."  
  
Before Pansy could finish however, Draco got up and went out of the room. 


	22. Alarming Questions

For Hermione, the rest of the ball went pretty horribly. She tried to dance a few more songs with Goyle, but she was in no mood for it anymore. She hated herself for letting Malfoy's lame insults get to her. She had no idea why she cared so much when he had called her a mudblood for the past four years since their second year. But at last, the time had finally crawled by and the doors to the Entrance Hall was opened again.  
  
Saying a depressed 'goodbye' to Goyle, Harry and Ginny, Hermione trudged up the stairs and was met by Lavender and Hannah.  
  
"Wasn't that a good night!" Lavender exclaimed. "Your Sk8ter Boi idea was an absolute mind blower!"  
  
Hermione smiled faintly.  
  
"What's wrong?" Hannah asked, noticing Hermione's slumped form.  
  
"Nothing." Hermione answered. "Just tired." For some reason she did not want to tell them that Malfoy's insults had hurt her so much.  
  
Hermione brightened up. "So, how was your success with the Malfoy prat?"  
  
"Not very good. He didn't dance for three-quarters of the time. He only danced with Pansy once, but he was damn fine in the musical mime."  
  
"Totally." Hannah agreed.  
  
"United."  
  
All three girls entered the Prefect's Common Room. They found Draco sitting on a couch in front of the fire, writing on some parchment. He glanced at them briefly and then put his parchment away.  
  
"Hey Draco."  
  
"Hey." Draco had always been quite nice to Lavender and Hannah since the start of the year. Hermione wondered why.  
  
"Why are you up here?"  
  
"Decided to come up here after a while. Got a bit bored. Has the ball finished already?"  
  
"Yep. It's coz you didn't dance; if you danced it would have been more fun."  
  
"Maybe. I gotta run. Catch you guys later." Draco then hurried up the stairs and into the boys' dormitory.  
  
"Hey, I goto to admit that that was the nicest conversation anyone could ever hold with Draco." Lavender announced as soon as he had disappeard.  
  
"Yeah. I wonder what caused the change?" Hannah agreed staring at the door of the boys' dormitories as though Draco was still standing there.  
  
"He's probably just leading you into a trap or something. I wouldn't trust him. He was rude to me only a few hours ago." Hermione stated firmly.  
  
"Well, of course YOU wouldn't trust him. Everyone knows that, but you've got to notice that he has changed since last year, only your prejudice keeps you from seeing it."  
  
"Excuse me?" Hermione turned to face Lavender with pure horror. "I do NOT hae prejudice, thank you very much."  
  
Lavender raised her eyebrows. "Well maybe if you weren't so rude to him, he wouldn't be so rude to you."  
  
*  
  
Draco frowned as he sat on his bed in the dormitory. He had just showed two Gryffindor girls and a Hufflepuff girl and side that no one had ever seen before. His innocent side. He had been too caught up in writing in his journal that his true surface had creeped up and he did not know until after. He slapped himself mentally.  
  
"How stupid."  
  
"What's so stupid?"  
  
Draco looked up, surprised at Hermione standing by the doorway. He would have thought she was asleep by now.  
  
"You're not allowed in here, Granger." Malfoy drawled.  
  
"Malfoy, I've got to ask you something. If only you'd let me in."  
  
Malfoy flicked his hair from his eyes. "I've already told you Granger. You're not allowed in here."  
  
Hermione however, walked straight in and plonked herself down on one of his green and silver chairs.  
  
Draco's eyes widened, but quickly resumed his calm. "I have no idea what you want to say to me Granger, but whatever it is, you'd better say it quickly so that you can leave and I can be in peace."  
  
"Why do you talk to me like that?"  
  
"Like what?" Draco was slightly alarmed at this question - he had never expected this.  
  
"Like how you do. You treat girls like Lavender and Hannah perfectly fine this year, but you still insult me and act all immature round me, why is that?" Hermione asked, looking around at the photo of little Draco and his mother that was in a frame on his desk.  
  
"I don't understand you." Draco replied lazily. "I think mudbloods have a different type of speaking style that only mudbloods understand."  
  
The photo reminded Hermione of something. " I know how upset you are Draco. If you only didn't act like such an idiot, I would help you out you know."  
  
Draco suddenly sat up on his bed, his shoulders tense. "What?"  
  
Hermione sighed. "It was an accident. I happened to find your diary entry."  
  
"OUT!" Hermione jumped at Draco's sudden response. "Get. Out. Now." Getting up from the bed, he pulled Hermione up from her seating position and pushed her out the door. "Draco, I know I shouldn't have and I'm really sorry."  
  
The door slammed shut in Hermione's face. 


	23. Invisible everyone this is Clay's new s...

The next morning, Hermione woke up, feeling glum. She felt horrible after yesterday's fight with Malfoy. Cautiously she went downstairs into the Common Room, it was a Sunday and she didn't have any classes. Malfoy wasn't there; only a few 6th Year Prefects.  
  
Sighing, she went back to the girls' dormitories and knocked on Lavender's room.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Hermione went inside, Lavender turned from the mirror where she was tying up her hair. "Hey Hermione, what's up?"  
  
"Everything." In as much detail as she could without saying what was written in Malfoy's diary, Hermione explained her problems.  
  
Lavender listened carefully. "That's not a great situation you've put yourself in Hermione."  
  
"I know." Hermione moaned. "I wish I had never opened my fat mouth."  
  
"I'll tell you what. Go up to his room and see if he's awake. Try and talk to him, if he doesn't reply.well, you'll just have to cope because I fully understand how he'd feel. Plus, I thought you didn't like him."  
  
Hermione nodded dejectedly and climbed the stairs to Draco's dorm. She didn't like him, but she had never known how much family troubles he was having and thought that he needed her help. She knocked but there was no answer. Quietly opening the door, she saw his sleeping figure and closed it again. This time Hermione actually felt really sorry for him.  
  
*  
  
A few days had passed since the happenings of that incident. Hermione felt very uncomfortable. Draco did not talk to her, greet her, acknowledge her presence of even look at her. She even missed his insults and his sarcasm as he now acted as if she was invisible to him. Whenever she came into the Common Room, he'd stand up abruptly and leave or turn the other way. He even stacked piles of books between him and Hermione's desk in Advanced Potions so that he did not have to look at her. Hermione felt ashamed and knew she had deeply hurt Draco's pride, confidence and confidentiality.  
  
After a week of this, Hermione could not stand it any longer. He was facing his back to her as he did his homework in the Prefects' Common Room and she went up and stood by him.  
  
"Malfoy."  
  
Draco did not look up. He carried on as if he was deaf.  
  
"Malfoy." Hermione tried again, a little louder this time.  
  
Still there was no emotion, not even a flicker of his eyes, only continuous essay writing on his parchment.  
  
"Draco."  
  
This shocked Draco and he looked up slightly, but went back to his essay so quickly that you had to have really watched him closely.  
  
Hermione decided to continue. "Draco, I'm really, really sorry. I understand how you feel and I know I shouldn't have done it, but I have not old anybody and don't intend to. You can come to me for friendly advie you know. You can trust me to help you. You know, I even miss your insults."  
  
Draco stood up, stopped for a shot moment then brushed part Hermione and up the stairs. -----------------------------------------------------~---------------------- --  
  
Author's Notes: Yay! Finally, this is the last chapter to Part 1 of this story! The sequel to this will be continuing from exactly where this story left off from.  
  
In it, you can look forward to:  
  
More information about Draco and Hermione's argument  
  
A trip to the muggle world  
  
Muggle school and muggle students  
  
A gang  
  
Romance  
  
Theme parks  
  
And MUCH MUCH more. So please READ and REVIEW!!!!! 


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